Culture at the Cinema: ‘Swan Lake’

Even those unfamiliar with ballets will have heard of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” The magical story has been brought to life on countless stages around the world and even on film.

Now Cayman audiences have a chance to see one of the most famous ballets in history, as performed by the Bolshoi Ballet, on the big screen at Regal Camana Bay.

Story

At moonlight, on the banks of a mysterious lake, Prince Siegfried meets the bewitched swan woman Odette. Completely spellbound by her beauty, he swears his faithfulness to her. However, the Prince realizes too late that fate has another plan for him.

In the dual role of white swan Odette and her rival black swan Odile, prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova exudes both vulnerability and cunning through superb technical mastery, alongside the powerful and emotional Siegfried, played by Denis Rodkin. Including breathtaking scenes with the Bolshoi’s corps de ballet, this is classical ballet at its finest.

Originally the roles of Odette and Odile (recognizable by her black swan costume) were entrusted to two dancers, but as there is only one brief fleeting moment when they are seen simultaneously, it has long been customary for a single prima ballerina to perform both parts, differentiating them by characterization and general style.

‘Swan Lake’

The ballet was originally premiered by the Bolshoi Ballet in 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Though the original composition of “Swan Lake” was initially received negatively, with audiences and critics claiming that the music was too complex to be a ballet piece, the work is now much beloved and is seen as one of Tchaikovsky’s most valuable. It subsequently lifted him into the realm of the most important ballet composers.

Regal Camana Bay

This performance of “Swan Lake” by the Bolshoi Ballet was captured live on Jan. 25, 2015. It will be shown for one night only at the Regal Camana Bay on Feb. 18.

Doors open at 7 p.m.; the screening starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and include a glass of bubbly. Tickets can be bought at the cinema box office.